SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PRESIDENTIAL

AND FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

The National Academies Committee on Ensuring the Best Science and Technology Presidential and Federal Advisory Committee Appointments is interested in hearing your comments on the issue of the appointment of scientists, engineers, and health professionals to presidentially appointed positions within the federal government and to federal advisory committees whose charge is science-based policy or to review research proposals.

The committee is charged with addressing the barriers to appointing the most-qualified candidates for science and technology presidential appointments and will examine the appointment process and the principles that should be observed in selecting scientists, engineers, and health professionals to serve on federal advisory committees. This is the third National Academies report on this issue and will be based on the two previous versions, which were prepared for the 1992 and 2000 presidential transitions. This report will be released in November 2004, shortly after the presidential election.

1.   What do you believe are the major obstacles in recruiting the best scientific and technical leadership for science and technology presidential appointments?

2.  How do you believe the presidential appointment process for science and technology positions can be improved?

3.  What principles should guide the selection of scientists, engineers, and health professionals to serve on federal advisory committees associated with science-based policy or to review research proposals?

To respond to this request for comments, please e-mail them to prezappointments@nas.edu by July 1, 2004.